Makmuzc Voice Studio

Getting to know me...

After receiving her B.S. in Music Education in 1978 from Malone University in Canton, OH, Antoinette (Toni) Cotturone worked as a church musician and youth director for First Friends Church in Portsmouth, VA. Directing and creating various ensembles within the church, she also performed as a soloist and worship leader. Several years later, she transitioned to Magnolia Methodist Church in Suffolk, VA where she continued to create and direct ensembles ranging from children's choirs to a senior citizen chorus. Two of these ensembles toured in various cities up and down the East coast. During her tenure at Magnolia, Toni became hungry for more knowledge about the voice and conducting, leading her to pursue a masters degree at Old Dominion University, studying privately with Dr. Nancy Klein. 

Toni graduated from ODU in 2000 with a M.S. in Secondary Music Education with an emphasis in choral conducting. While at ODU, she began teaching elementary music at First Baptist Christian School in Suffolk, VA. After three years at First Baptist, Toni applied for the elementary music position at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy in Suffolk, VA with the understanding that she would begin to develop a choral music program from the ground up. Believing that everyone loved singing and performing as much as she, Toni pursued that endeavor with anticipation of what was to come. After 21 years of recruiting, encouraging and training young singers, the academy now possesses a thriving choral program of several ensembles with over 100 participating students. After finishing her masters, Toni began taking private voice instruction from Robert Turner in Portsmouth, VA. That experience opened up an entire new world of vocal production for her, that of bel canto . She grew as a vocalist under his tutelage for the next several years, during which she performed in the Amalfi Coast Music & Arts Festival in Italy in 2006.

During a VMEA conference, she attended a workshop on vocal pedagogy that intrigued her, which lead her on the search for the LoVetri Institute for Somatic Voicework ™. She attended the institute at Shenandoah University in 2013 and 2015 completing all three levels both times. This unique vocal pedagogy method equips those certified to teach all types of styles and genres. Toni continues to pursue further study of this method by webinars, attending the institute, reading blogs, etc. She feels extremely blessed to have encountered Jeanie LoVetri and her passion for functional vocal production.

Toni holds a Somatic Voicework ™ membership and certification.
                                

Makmuzc 𝄞 Ephesians 5:19